Body shaming has become a habit nowadays. Have you ever felt the need to skip your family’s most awaited reunion because of that one tita who would always give unsolicited advice about your body? Those “Huy! Tumaba ka!” greetings instead of “How are you?” – totally annoying, right?

There’s no perfect body – at least this is what the society would like us to believe, but if you look at advertisements these days, you would start to think otherwise. Big boobs, round butts, sculpted jaw, slender arms – it’s as if marketing agencies have already figured out the world’s definition of an attractive woman. People tend to think that those who do not meet all those qualifications are not as attractive. “Multiple studies have shown the negative impact of the media on body image. Exposure to photoshopped images of unrealistic body ideals has been linked to low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders.”¹

Why do we have this concept of body-shaming? What’s in it for those who do it? Imagine someone you body-shamed skipped their meals because they lost their self-confidence. Imagine someone being overly conscious of what they wear for fear of having someone tell them it’s not flattering. Imagine someone who is tired of being called “payatot.” No one is entitled to shame someone according to their bodies’ built. We are different in every aspect and we have to respect it.

What’s important is that we are healthy. It may not show on our appearance but at least we know within ourselves that we are. Embrace how you look, take care of your body and it will do the rest.

SOURCE:

¹Allison Abrams, LCSW-R. (Oct 10, 2017). Shutting Down Body Shaming. Retrieved from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/nurturing-self-compassion/201710/shutting-down-body-shaming

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